Heirs of Durin
by LadyWallace
Summary: Thorin meets his nephews for the first time. Two one-shots exploring Fili and Kili's births and the hope Thorin found in having heirs to the throne of Durin.
1. Fili

**A/N: Wow, another story eee! I can't believe I'm actually writing again :D Anyway, this idea came from several places; first I really wondered what Thorin's reaction to having heirs was, so I wanted to explore his thoughts when Fili and Kili were first born. There was also something Richard Armatage said in an interview about wanting to know who the love of Thorin's life was. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the interview again, but I thought he said he kind of made up a backstory about it. Anyway, I thought that maybe the woman (dwarf) Thorin loved died in the Fall of Erabor and since he loved her so much, he wasn't about to go off and marry again, and thus, had no hope of producing an heir so when Dis gave birth to Fili, I can only imagine a huge relief from Thorin.**

**Then there's Dis' husband, who I could find no name for (and I don't think anyone has) so I made him "Vili" thinking maybe, keeping with typical dwarfish customs, that would be where Fili and Kili got their names from. I also made him blond like Fili because where else would that come from? I know some people say Frerin, but I've never really thought that, so this is my idea of him, and honestly it doesn't really matter lol. I hope you enjoy the story! I've got the other part about Kili's birth as well, and I'll try to post it up of Saturday or Sunday hopefully!**

Heirs of Durin

A Hobbit Fanfic

Part One

Fili

Thorin didn't know whether it had been a long time or not—maybe this was normal? Vili sat next to him, jiggling his knee in anxiety, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. Frerin alternated pacing and standing against the wall. Thorin tried to set the example, but he was on the verge of fidgeting himself. It was his baby sister, how could he not be anxious? He took a peek at the door again, wishing he could block out her cries of pain. A particularly loud scream made Vili flinch and jump up before he forced himself to sit back down and Thorin put his hand on his shoulder. The screams were punctuated by curses that made Thorin slightly proud of his little sister at the same time he was shocked by the vulgarity of them. Some were specifically directed at Vili and Thorin saw his ears turn pink before he ducked his head into his hands in misery.

Finally after one final scream from Dis, a thin wail sounded and all three dwarves in the hall stood up, looking at the closed door before glancing at each other, unsure of what to do.

The door opened and Oin stepped out with a smile on his face, beckoning them inside.

"Come, the babe is well, as is the mother." A sigh of relief washed out of the three warriors. Oin smiled brighter. "It is a boy."

Vili looked like he wanted to weep and he pushed past Oin, calling out to his wife as he ran to see his son. Thorin and Frerin let them have a moment, sharing a relieved smile, before they too entered the room.

Thorin stopped with bated breath as he took in the scene while Frerin went straight over and sat at the foot of Dis' bed as she put the swaddled babe into Vili's arms and he looked stricken before he shuffled the baby around to a more comfortable position.

"What's his name?" Frerin asked.

"Fili," Dis said with a weary smile, reaching out to stroke the tiny fuzzy head. "He has your hair, Vili," she teased.

Thorin watched, a deep sadness washing over him along with the elation. Fili, little Fili not ten minutes from the womb, but already the only heir of Durin. He had thought years ago, before the fall of Erabor that the heir would be his own son. Before…before _she_ had been killed in the fire. But he had long ago given up that dream. No, this little one, his sister-son would be his heir, and he would treat him as a son himself.

"Thorin," Dis said and he snapped from his painful memories to look at his sister, going over to her bedside and taking her hand as he smiled, fearing it was little more than a grim twist of his lips. She seemed to see that, to know exactly what he was thinking, for she motioned to the babe still lying in his father's arms. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I…" Thorin hesitated, but Dis squeezed his hand and Vili was smiling up at him, already offering the bundle who had quieted down already.

"Hold him, Thorin," Dis insisted.

Thorin tentatively held his arms out for the precious bundle and Vili laid the tiny thing with the wisp of golden hair like his father's into Thorin's arms. As soon as the babe settled against his chest, he felt a strange happiness and relief fall over him as if it hadn't all been real until this moment. The dwarfling yawned deeply and opened his eyes to reveal bright blue orbs and Thorin smiled, genuinely this time, and cuddled the baby closer to him, rocking him back and fourth. This was the hope of Durin, a new hope, the first hope he had been given since the fall of Erebor, since they had been forced into exile.

"The line of Durin will not fall so easily," he said to no one in particular, but the babe looked up at him with an intelligent face, as if he had understood the importance of what he said. To think that their futures rested on the shoulders of this delicate little creature.

"Fili," Thorin whispered, and grinned wider. He bent to kiss his sister on the temple. "Congratulations Dis," he whispered to her, looking down at the bundle in his arms once more before he relinquished little Fili, who was beginning to fuss again, to his mother.

The warmth might have left his arms, but it was still in his heart, and would always be so whenever he saw those bright blue eyes staring at him.

No, the line of Durin would not fall easily at all.


	2. Kili

**Here's part two as promised! This one is all about little Kili. I kind of had the idea (and I think other people have kind of thought the same thing too) that Kili was born early, and maybe it was a hard birth, and there was a chance they could have lost him, so that might be one reason why Thorin is always a little more protective of Kili than he is of Fili. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one as well. I've got another story I'll try and post up next weekend. **

**Oh and obviously I don't own the characters, sadly. **

Part Two

Kili

It had been a shock to all of them. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, Thorin grieved as he crouched next to Dis' bed, his hand crushed in hers as she screamed in the pain of the birth. Tears streamed down her face, not just from the physical pain, but from the loss that they had all suffered. Tears were in Thorin's eyes as well, dripping from his chin as he fought to console Dis, praying she would not follow their kin that night.

It had all been a disaster. Thorin had fought with Frerin, Vili, and his father and grandfather at Azanulbizar, and though the dwarves had been victorious that day, they had lost so many. Thorin was the only one of his kin to return, the ache of the loss of his father and grandfather, and of his brother and brother-in-law who had died fighting at his back proved almost too much for him, but he had rallied his troops and fought back at the last moment. The pain didn't come till after the battle rage left him. And knowing he would have to go back home to Dis and little five-year-old Fili and tell them they would never see their husband and father again… He had fought to do it with a straight face, not letting his emotions get the better of him, but he had broken and he had held Dis and Fili as they cried.

But then something had happened and Dis screamed and collapsed in his arms, holding her round belly. Fili was beside himself in terror, and Thorin hardly knew what to do, didn't know what was wrong, until he realized… the baby was coming. And early—too early.

There was so much that could go wrong and he fought with the only options he had been given: leave Fili to watch over his mother, or let him run to fetch Oin who would be busy enough that night with the wounded. He finally decided that Fili would be better off running for Oin and sent the poor lad off straight away while he carried Dis into her room and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. As he laid her on the bed, she had grabbed his hand and opened her eyes, looking up at him even as she panted and gasped in pain.

"Please don't leave me," she pleaded, and all he could see was his baby sister at Fili's age, pleading with him not to leave her at night when nightmares plagued her. "Thorin, don't let me lose this baby. If I must die to save him…"

"No," Thorin told her, shushing her gently. "I will not lose either of you, I promise."

"He's a month early…" she groaned as she sobbed in pain.

"He'll be fine, he comes from strong folk," Thorin assured her, and continued to do so until Oin arrived, rushing into the room.

"Where's Fili?" Dis whispered.

"Gloin and his wife are looking after him," Oin assured her as he set out his things. "Now let's see what we can do about making this easier."

Dis was in pain all night, and Thorin bathed her brow with cool water, and held her and sang but he felt so helpless through it all, and he knew his hand was nearly broken from her squeezing it. He also realized he had not tended any of his own wounds properly, but would not allow Oin to see to him until the child was born. Not even when one in his side was opened from Dis' thrashing and started to bleed.

Then finally at dawn, with much coaxing from Oin, a babe was born and Dis was so exhausted that she fell back against the pillows, gasping for breath and Thorin had to take the babe himself.

He was such a tiny thing and Thorin was afraid to crush him as he took him with shaking hands from Oin, cradling the babe protectively against his chest as Oin saw to the mother. The tiny dwarfling had a shock of dark hair on the top of his head, taking after his mother this time and Thorin felt the tears return, this time both pained yet bittersweet. In all the death and destruction that had been wrought in the Line of Durin that day, there was another, a little ray of hope for them in a dark time. But he was so small and so still, Thorin caught his breath, fearing the worst. Then the tiny face scrunched up and a gurgle came from the lips and Thorin breathed a sigh of relief. He pressed his lips gently to the babe's forehead as he let out a thin wail.

"Thorin," Dis said weakly and as he looked up at her he saw she was smiling and holding out her arms. "Let me hold my baby."

Thorin placed the tiny bundle into her arms and she sobbed as she held him.

"He is so small," she wept as Thorin, in turn, wrapped his arms around her.

"Aye, but strong," Oin said reassuringly, patting the babe's dark head as Dis cuddled him on her breast. "He will be a fine lad."

There was a sound out in the hall and Thorin looked out the door, ready to yell at the intruder when he saw Fili standing there with Gloin and he couldn't help but smile, standing up and holding out a hand to the little dwarf.

"Come, Fili, meet your new brother."

Fili took a tentative step forward and put his hand into Thorin's, allowing his uncle to lead him into the room.

Dis beamed as she saw him, and beckoned him to come to the bedside. "Come Fili, would you like to hold him?"

Fili looked up at the tiny bundle in his mothers arms, seeming uncertain, but when his mother held out the babe, he seemed to forget that and raised his own small arms so Dis could place his little brother into them. Thorin gently guided his arms into the right position and then watched with a teary smile as Fili met his little brother for the first time.

"What's his name?" Fili asked, looking up at his mother.

"Kili," Dis said, reaching out and stroking Fili's hair out of his eyes with a gentle smile. "Do you like him?"

Fili studied the small dark head pressed against his shoulder and then nodded. Thorin rested a hand on his shoulder and crouched down to look into the dwarfling's eyes. "You must take good care of him and always look after him, Fili," he said firmly. "He is your little brother, and he will become your good friend in time, perhaps the best one you will ever have." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, memories of Frerin still too fresh in his mind. "Do you think you can do that?"

Fili nodded with no hesitation this time. "Oh, yes, Unca, I'll always look after my brover. I pwomise." He then looked down at Kili with a serious expression that brought a small smile to Thorin's lips. "I pwomise I'll look after you, Kiwi," he said. And then little Kili opened his eyes and met those of his big brother and Thorin could have sworn he saw a smile on the babe's lips. He bent down to take the babe from Fili's arms, but the dwarfling turned aside, refusing to let him go.

"I wanna hold him some more," he said.

"He needs to go back to your mother," Thorin insisted gently. "He's hungry."

Fili reluctantly allowed his uncle to scoop little Kili out of his arms and hand him back to Dis, but Fili kept an eye on the bundle at all times. "Can I hold him again after?"

"Of course, Fili," Dis said with a smile. "As your uncle said, you will have to learn to take good care of your brother."

Fili nodded vigorously and Thorin stepped back, just watching them for a few minutes. There was still an ache in his heart for the loss they had all suffered, but while he had lost his brothers that day, he felt comforted with the fact that his nephew had gained one. It just proved the fact that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken.

Not easily at all.


End file.
